Julius Onah
Julius Onah | |
---|---|
![]() Onah in 2011 | |
Born |
Makurdi, Nigeria | February 10, 1983
Residence | New York City |
Alma mater | Wesleyan University, New York University |
Occupation | Film director, producer, screenwriter and actor |
Years active | 2002-present |
Website |
www |
Julius Onah (born February 10, 1983) is a Nigerian-American filmmaker.[1]
Early life
Onah was born in Makurdi, Benue State in Nigeria. He was raised in the Philippines, Nigeria, Togo and the United Kingdom before moving to Arlington County, Virginia with his diplomat father, Adoga Onah. Onah graduated from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, VA and received his B.A. in theater from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. He completed an M.F.A. from the graduate film program at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University where he was selected as a Dean's Fellow.[1] He is also a recipient of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship.[2].
His twin brother, Anthony Onah, is also a director, with his first feature film The Price released in 2017.[3]
Career
Onah’s work has screened at festivals around the world including Berlin, London, Dubai, Los Angeles, Melbourne and Camerimage. In the summer of 2010, he was selected as one of Filmmaker magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film. In 2013, he was selected as one of Studio System's 10 Up and Up Feature Directors and Forbes Magazine's 13 African Celebrities To Watch. While at NYU’s graduate film program he completed his first feature as his thesis, The Girl Is in Trouble (2015) with executive producer Spike Lee, featuring Alicja Bachleda, Wilmer Valderrama, Columbus Short, and Jesse Spencer. Onah was previously set to direct thriller film adaptation Brilliance for Legendary Pictures which David Koepp scripted with Will Smith and Noomi Rapace to star as leads.[4][5] He most recently completed The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)[6] with producer J. J. Abrams. He is currently in post-production on Luce featuring Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth and Kelvin Harrison Jr.[7]
Filmography
- The Girl Is in Trouble (2015) – director/writer/producer
- The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) – director
Open Continents
Open Continents is a global media project comprising Onah's short, feature, music video and television work.
Continent | Title | Country | Subject | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
EUROPE | SZMOLINSKY (Berlin Film Festival, SXSW Click, Melbourne Film Festival) | Germany | Euro Tales | 2008 |
NIE PATRZ WSTECZ (London Film Festival, Camerimage Grand Jury Award) | Poland | Euro Tales | 2008 | |
DRIK NU AGNES | Denmark | Euro Tales | 2011 | |
AFRICA | GOODBYE CHICKEN, FAREWELL GOAT (Los Angeles Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, True/False Film Festival) | Nigeria | African Days | 2010 |
BIG MAN (Dubai Film Festival, New York Times, Los Angeles Film Festival) | Nigeria | African Days | 2012 | |
NORTH AMERICA | SHE WAITS IN THE RESTLESS HORIZON | USA | New York Streets | 2005 |
LINUS (MTVu Film of the Week, 1st Place Calvin Klein Short Film Competition) | USA | New York Streets | 2007 | |
THE GIRL IS IN TROUBLE | USA | New York Streets | 2015 | |
MEDITATIONS/A LOVE STORY | USA | American Lives | 2004 | |
THE BOUNDARY (Amnesty International Movies That Matter, Best Director NBC Short Cuts, HBO) | USA | American Lives | 2008 | |
BROKEN ARROWS (Avicii) | USA | American Lives | 2015 | |
LUCE | USA | American Lives | 2018 | |
THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX | USA | Hollywood Lights | 2018 |
References
- 1 2 Archived May 1, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Archived July 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ http://www.konbini.com/ng/entertainment/heres-why-2017-is-the-year-of-nigerian-american-directors-the-onah-brothers/
- ↑ "Legendary Sets Julius Onah To Helm 'Brilliance'". deadline.com. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
- ↑ Anderton, Ethan (12 May 2014). "'Prometheus' Star Noomi Rapace is Joining Will Smith for 'Brilliance'". firstshowing.net. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
- ↑ "'God Particle' believes in newbie helmer". Variety. 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
- ↑ "Dream Factory Launches With 'Luce': Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth Kelvin Harrison Jr. Head Cast'".